The native horsetail plant can run wild
Even though the horsetail plant (Equisetum hyemale) has a natural range that includes North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, it’s still — as far as gardeners are concerned — an odd and unfamiliar plant. Also called scouring rush and snake grass, the native horsetail is an amazing species that features hollow, vertical, jointed stems that give it the appearance of a miniature bamboo. In between the joints — which are silvery-gray but darken during growth periods — each segment displays multiple shades of green. Developing atop mature stems is a small, yellow, pineapple-like cone that produces spores. The 3-to-4-foot stems are so roughly textured that they can be used for cleaning cookware — hence the name scouring rush.
Horsetails, which are fern allies because they reproduce by spores, demand wet sites in sun and are useful for controlling erosion on the banks of rivers and ponds. But due to their ability to spread rapidly via rhizomes, they must be contained in pots if used in ornamental ponds or tub gardens. Propagate by division. Plants are available online.
A nearly perfect shrub
No plant is perfect, but for gardeners who want a cold-hardy, drought-tolerant shrub that flowers for months, stays under 3 feet tall, and has dense, pest-resistant foliage, Little John bottlebrush comes close. Little John, a hybrid of weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) from Australia, grows slowly, spreading 5 feet across. It’s ideal for foundation plantings because pruning is unnecessary to keep it below windowsill height. In addition, Little John is appropriate for butterfly gardens, mixed shrubbery borders and sunny niches, where its slow growth makes it easy to keep in bounds. The distinctive bright-red, brush-like blossoms are borne in spring and summer, tempting butterflies and hummingbirds. Install plants on organically enriched, well-drained sites in bright light. Little John is propagated by cuttings. Note: additional dwarf bottlebrush varieties have become available. They perform similarly and demand the same care.
Get familiar with feijoa
Feijoa (pineapple guava) is a potentially gigantic fruiting shrub that fell out of fashion decades ago. Native to Brazil, where it inhabits periodically dry, mountainous locations, feijoa (Acca sellowiana) can become 20 feet tall on sunny, well-drained sites. A densely branched, cold-hardy species with gray-green foliage, feijoa bears 1½-inch-wide white, springtime flowers bristling with brilliant red stamens. Those blossoms are followed by small, sweet, oval fruit, which are now considered a ‘’super fruit’’ and grown commercially in New Zealand. The flower petals are also edible and used as garnishes. Propagate by seed. Numerous varieties have been developed but can be difficult to locate online.
Potential problems with zoysiagrass
A reader who likes the appearance of zoysia turf asked if the most popular varieties had notable problems. The two most common challenges with zoysia grasses are their susceptibility to several species of nematodes and their tendency to develop thatch.